Angie McMahon’s Light Sides is a reflective extension of her critically acclaimed album Light, Dark, Light Again. The collection of five tracks were crafted concurrently with the album and offer a subtle glimpse into the creative process that birthed its predecessor.
As Angie puts it,
“Light Sides is a collection of songs that live alongside Light, Dark, Light Again. They were written in the process of making the album, born in the same universe. They didn’t fit in the record and I didn’t know if they’d be released, but it feels right to complete the chapter by letting these ones go. Thanks for making space for the record in your lives and entering the world of it with me. I hope these extra pieces give a little extra color to the story.”
From the outset, it’s clear that Light Sides is a rich complement to its companion album. It opens with “Beginner,” a song that was born out of spontaneity with collaborator Emma Louise and involved a rapid yet seamless blending of ideas with Jonathan Rado and Tyler Ballgame. The result is a song that stands as a testament to the ongoing journey of self-discovery and growth. With its reflective lyrics, “Beginner” challenges the notion of absolute certainty and embraces the ever-changing nature of personal evolution. Angie’s vocal delivery and the track’s music work in harmony to underscore the theme of personal resilience and transformation.
Showcasing her ability to weave heartfelt and sincere themes into her music is “Just Like North”. Written during a session led by Courtney Marie Andrews and inspired by Barbara Ras’s poem “You Can’t Have It All,” the song was recorded in Durham, NC, and mixed by Alex O’Gorman. Although it didn’t make it onto the album, the song echoes with the ideas of failure and renewal which aligns seamlessly with the broader concepts explored in Light, Dark, Light Again.
A piece that she has carried with her since the early stages of her album’s development is “Untangling”. In every sense of the word, the song reflects Angie’s struggle to untangle and finalise a relationship that needed closure. In its heartfelt exploration of complex relationships, the raw emotional weight is amplified by lush and organic music that captures the essence of Angie’s journey to untangle and close the particular chapter of her life.
While “Interstate” introduces a different mood with its nostalgic and introspective feel, it too captures another period of personal experience for Angie. This go round she is blindsided by love and the feelings that come from a new relationship. She says,
“It was early in our relationship and it felt good to be speeding away from it and escaping the vulnerability, heading for the High Country, but ultimately I knew I wanted to go back and be with this wonderful person I’d met. I do a lot of processing on long drives and I wanted the recording to capture that.”
Through her vivid lyrics, one can see headlights bouncing on a barren road as the emotions break the surface and sets one free.
Closing out Light Sides is “Take Up Space”. The song reflects an exploration of empathy and perspective from someone else’s point of view. In giving a voice to those that may have caused pain, it allows for potentially understanding why that person caused the pain in the first place and gives space to healing.
Light Sides is not merely a collection of leftover tracks but rather a thoughtfully curated extension of Light, Dark, Light Again. Each song adds a new layer to the album’s overarching narrative and offers a deeper exploration of themes and emotions that Angie navigated during the album’s creation. It provides a richer and more nuanced experience, one that illuminates the shadows of the light and the dark again and again.
